UK car production forecast cut on sluggish Europe

Nissan workers are pictured at the automaker's plant in Sunderland, England.

LONDON (Reuters) -- Automakers will build about 1.8 million cars in 2017 in the UK, less than originally expected, due to more sluggish growth in Europe, the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.

An SMMT spokesman said last month that the group forecast car output of 1.95 million cars in 2017, but CEO Mike Hawes said today that the figure would be "something in the order of 1.8 million."

"We had an expectation that Europe would grow much more rapidly out of recession than it has done," Hawes told reporters.

Hawes said that the industry would by 2020 beat the record of 1.92 million cars set in 1972, potentially several years later than originally expected.

Japanese automakers Nissan, Toyota and Honda all have plants in the UK, as do BMW Group's Mini and Rolls-Royce brands. Volkswagen's Bentley, as well as Tata's Jaguar Land Rover, are among other companies that build cars in the UK.